Approved Cooperatives List

Welcome to the City of Columbia's Cooperative Purchasing Warehouse

Cooperative procurement (or piggy-backing off another government agency's previously solicited contract) has been proven to reduce administrative and product costs, increase efficiencies and stretch shrinking budgets during difficult times. Cooperative procurement aggregates the purchasing power of multiple government agencies in order to entice the vendor community to offer deeper discounts on goods and services. Cities, counties, states and school districts across the country, including Columbia, MO, are demonstrating "improved operating results" (IOR) and cutting their bottom line by utilizing cooperative procurement on a larger scale.

Please browse the numerous governmental cooperatives the city may utilize listed in our "warehouse". If you wish to utilize any of the coops please contact purchasing for assistance. If you find a coop you wish to purchase from, which is not listed, please let purchasing conduct the proper research for competitive bidding, insurance and prevailing wage, as it may apply as well as document retrieval prior to initiating a purchase.

Under the Cooperative Purchasing Program, state and local government entities may purchase a variety of Information Technology (IT) products, software, and services from contracts awarded under GSA Federal Supply Schedule 70, Information Technology, as well as from contracts under the Consolidated (formerly Corporate Contracts) Schedule containing IT special item numbers. State and local government entities may also purchase alarm and signal systems, facility management systems, firefighting and rescue equipment, law enforcement and security equipment, marine craft and related equipment, special purpose clothing, and related services from contracts awarded under GSA Federal Supply Schedule 84, Total Solutions for Law Enforcement, Security, Facility Management Systems, Fire, Rescue, Special Purpose Clothing, Marine Craft, and Emergency/Disaster Response.

Under the Disaster Recovery Purchasing Program, state and local government entities may purchase a variety of products and services from contracts awarded under GSA Federal Supply Schedules to facilitate recovery from a major disaster, terrorism, or nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack.

When a Public Health Emergency (PHE) is declared, state, local, tribal and territorial governments can now benefit from the speed, savings, and ease of use of the Federal Supply Schedules. These eligible ordering entities are now authorized to access all Federal Supply Schedules for the purchase of supplies and services when expending federal grants funds in response to Public Health Emergencies (PHEs) declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Services Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 247d.

Section 1122 of the fiscal year 1994 National Defense Authorization Act established the authority for states and units of local government to purchase law enforcement equipment through federal procurement channels, provided that the equipment is used in the performance of counter-drug activities.

U.S. Communities is a government purchasing cooperative that pools the purchasing power of public agencies to provide lower cost of goods and services to local governments, public schools, and non-profit organizations.

PSS is non-profit cooperative purchasing organization that is a division of the Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing. The PSS provides discounted contracts to public entities across the country.

The APS is a group purchasing organization affiliated with Missouri Hospital Association and the Kansas Hospital Association. The APS serves organizations in Missouri and Kansas by providing members access to more than 50 contracts mainly focused on the needs of medical organizations.

The KCRPC is a local government purchasing cooperative and a partnership of the Mid-America Regional Council, the Mid-America Council of Public Purchasing (MACPP) and local governments. The KCRPC is managed under a steering committee made up of city and county managers and purchasing officials.

H-GAC is a regional council of local governments governed by board of officials from governments in the region. All of the contracts are awarded by the board then made available for any state, local government or qualifying non-profit. HGACBuy contracts focus on capital intensive goods and services ranging from emergency vehicles to financial consulting services.

BuyBoard is the result of collaboration between various state boards of education through the National School Board Association. The cooperative serves school districts and all other public entities as well by posting catalogs of vendors online and by assisting in the purchasing process.

The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS/TAPS) is sponsored by the Region VIII Education Service Center (ESC8) located at 2230 North Edwards, Mt. Pleasant, Texas and is governed by the Region 8 ESC Board of Directors. The Interlocal Purchasing System is available for use by all public and private schools, colleges, universities, cities, counties, and other government entities.

At its core, NJPA is a Member-driven service cooperative with a Membership now exceeding 30,000. NJPA offers a multitude of products, equipment and service opportunities to education, government and other non-profit entities.

WSCA is a cooperative purchasing group composed of 15 states, that also allows states outside of the group to use their contracts. WSCA employs a “Lead-State” model, instead of providing a vendor list. One state takes the lead on the procurement process for a particular contract, owns the contract, and makes it available to other public entities.

MMCAP is a voluntary group purchasing organization operated by the State of Minnesota serving government-authorized healthcare facilities. The goal of MMCAP is to provide member organizations the combined purchasing power to receive the best prices available for pharmaceuticals, hospital supplies, and related products.

National IPA is a cooperative purchasing organization, established through a collaborative effort of public agencies across the United States with the specific purpose of reducing procurement costs by leveraging group volume.

The NPP is a group purchasing organization that serves both public and private entities. The NPP is owned by the Virginia Mason Medical Center, and partners with other regional and national associations to strength their purchasing power.

KPN is a cooperative purchasing program that offers schools and other public entities nationally available contracts, regional contracts for the AEPA in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and line item bids for Pennsylvania.

The Cooperative started as a non-profit cooperative purchasing corporation selling recycled paper. Today the corporation is for profit and has extended its contracts to include numerous recycled and environmentally friendly products.

Surplus Property is a part of the Procurement Services Department that is responsible for the disposal, re-distribution, and/or sale of used equipment/property that the University of Missouri and other Mid-Missouri government agencies and educational institutions no longer use. The sale of this equipment is handled through public auctions, sales, or online.

MVE is a section of the Department of Corrections that uses employment, work, and job skills trainings as a means of rehabilitating inmates and increasing their ability to find work when they are released.

The State of Missouri's Office of Administration Purchasing Division is authorized to provide procurement services through a joint purchasing program to political subdivisions and quasi-public governmental bodies.